Treatment of grain, especially wheat



- June 11, 1940. 5, FRANCOls 2,204,039

TREATMENT OF GRAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEAT Filed April 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a uniformmanner, whereby the same layer is Patented June 11, 1940' 2,204,039 i TREATMENT OF GRAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEAT Auguste Eugene Francois, Choisy-le-Roi, France Application April 22, 1936, Serial No. 75,832 In France April 26, 1935 3 Claims. (Cl. 8 330) The present invention relates to the treatment of grain, and especially wheat.

The object of the present invention is to pro vide a method and apparatus permitting first to remove the husk of the grain and then to wear off the successive layers that form the grain, in

transformed into powder for all the grains that are treated together, thus permitting to obtain separately, in a powdery state, the various elements of the grain.

The essential feature of the method according to the present invention consists in introducing the grain to be treated into a cylindrical box of 3 oval cross section having an abrading inner surface, and rotating said box about its axis at a rate corresponding to the dimensions of the box and the nature and size of the grain, so as to uniformly wear oif the grain elements. v

The essential feature of the apparatus according to the present invention consists in the provision of a cylindrical box rotatable about its axis and driven through suitable means, the inner surface of said box being lined with an abrading material.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described, with reference about its axis and in which the grain is to be treated.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, this cylindrical box is of oval cross section, and it consists of an outer envelope A, lined with an abrading envelope B, which consists either of a coating of an abrading material or of ridged or checkered metal sheets.

Grain is introduced into this box or powdered matters removed therefrom through an aperture D.

. This box is keyed on a shaft E, journalled' in bearings F and driven through a pulley G. In the embodiment illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, in order to facilitate starting of the apparatus, two boxes disposed at right angles to each other are keyed on the same shaft E.

-According to the present invention, a certain amount of grain is introduced into the rotary box. Then this box is rotated at a rate such that there is obtained, for all grain elements, a uni-m form wear of layers of the same nature of said respective grain elements, each layer being transformed into powder during the same period 'of time for all grain elements or portions thereof the rotary box ofthe apis that the grains are applied by the centrifugal force against the lateral, practically fiat, walls of the casing with a pressure sufficient to remove the successive layers of the grain by abrasion. The speed of the shaft E is adjusted so that the centrifugal force set up is insuflicient to maintain the grains in contact with the more remote rounded or end portions of the walls of :95 the casing. There is thus a relative movement between the wall and the grains on the one hand, and between the grains on the' other hand, and as a consequence the grains are shifted about so that when they are thrown against one of the lateral walls they present to this walla part. of

their surface which has not yet been abraded. The speed of revolution of the box that permits of obtaining this result depends upon the characteristics, of the'apparatus, and especially the dimensions of the rotary box, the, amount of. grain introduced into the apparatus for each 09- eration, and the nature 'of the grain that is treated. v

This speed of revolution can be determined experimentally, but, for practical purposes," it ranges between narrow limits. For instance, in the case of an apparatus of the type of shaft shown by Figs. 1 and 2, in which the box is in the shape ofa cylinder of elliptical cross section, with a maximumdiameter of two meters and a minimum diameter of one meter, the length of the box,-parallelly' to its axis, being 75 centimeters, the optimum speed of revolution of the box for normal wheat is 33 revolutions per minute, the weight of the charge of matt introduced for each operation being one hundr d hilogrammes.

when the speed of revolution is 35 revolutions per minute, and more, the matter, under the effeet of the centrifugal force, is distributed in the vicinity of the longer axis of the ellipse and there is practically no transformation of the grain into flour.

' On the other hand, when the speed of revolubut of course they may vary homothetically within wide limits.

With an apparatus as above described, run ning at the optimum speed, it is possible to obtain a uniform wear of all grain elements.

For instance, after about 18,000 revolutions, all the grain elements (supposing said grain consists of wheat) shall be stripped off and freed from their husks. 1

If the matter thus worn off is removed, it consists only of bran.

After causing the apparatus to further work for 12,000 revolutions, the grain elements are freed from their hyaline band.

The flour thus produced can easily be collected separately:

'After 12,000 further 'revolutions, the grain Elements shall be freed from their proteic maters.

Finally, after 10,000 further" revolutions the the apparatus, I may modify the rotary box as shown by Figs. 3 and 4.

According to this embodiment of the invention, the rotary box consists of two concentric cylindrical elements and K. The inner surface of the outer box Cv is; provided with an abrading lining as above explained, whereas the outer surface of the inner cylinder K is provided with an abrading lining. I

The inner and outer cylindrical elements are driven directly through shaft E and a pulley G keyed on said shaft. 4

In order to permit of increasing the speed of revolution of the apparatus, I have found that it is necessary to stir the grain present in the revolving elements of the apparatus as otherwise, for high speeds of revolution, said grain would accumulate at the ends of the oval seccentrifugal force.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the invention, two blades L are mounted inside the a rotary Grain is introduced into the space between V the two concentric box elements'by means of a door D provided in the wall of the outer box element, as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the powdery matter being removed by suction through holes provided in the inner box element and through the hollow shaft E.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of the present inventioh, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts withoutdeparting from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for the abrasive treatment of grain comprising an outer imperforate cylinder rotatable on a horizontal axis, said cylinder being substantially elliptical in vertical section transverse to said axis and oblong in vertical section parallel to said axis, an inner perforated circular cylinder, abrasive means on the inner surface of said outer cylinder and the outer surface of said inner cylinder, and means concent'rically mounting said cylinders for rotation on said axis. I

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, blades mounted in the space between the inner and outer cylinder, and means for rotating said blades.

' continuous oblong path about a substantially horizontal axis at a speed sufliciently low so that the combined centrifugal and gravity forces permit the grains tomove with respect to each other, said speed being sufficiently high to prevent the grains from being thrown with crushing force across the interior of the path, simultaneously abrading the grains as they are moving along said path, and removing successively the layers as they are ground from said grains.

AUGUSTE EUGENE FRANCOIS. 

